Suspensory undergarment



v. c. VAN HORNE SUSPENSORY UNDERGARMENT June 12, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1960 FIG INVENTOR. Vera C. Van Horne ATTORNEY June 12, 1962 v. c. VAN HORNE 3,038,471

SUSPENSORY UNDERGARMENT Filed Jan. 21, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

12 FIG. 8

21 FIG. 4

FIG. 5 31 32 32 41 FIG.6

INVENTOR. 43 Vera C. Van Horne AT TORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,038,471 Patented June 12, 1962 3,038,471 SUSPENSORY UNDERGARMENT Vera C. Van Horne, Birchside Drive, Norwalk, Conn. Filed Jan. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 3,782 Claims. (Cl. 128-159) This invention relates to knitted undergarments and, more particularly, to novel shorts or briefs or panties providing the support effect usually provided by a girdle.

Persons requiring abdominal support have generally had to rely upon special support garments such as trusses, girdles and the like, and these support garments are additional to the usual undergarments such as shorts, briefs, panties and the like. This has occasioned some discomfort, as well as increasing the bulk of clothing worn beneath outer clothing, such as dresses and trousers.

In accordance with the present invention, the support functions of a girdle, truss and the like are provided in a single undergarment such as shorts or panties. This is effected by a novel orientation of the main panels of the garment to take advantage of the differential stretch of the fabric in mutually perpendicular directions, plus the incorporation in the garment of overlapping supplementary reinforcing panels having a novel orientation as to the directions of maximum and minimum stretch.

One of these supplementary panels, of elastic yarn, overlies the central portion of a main front panel (likewise of elastic yarn) and has its maximum stretch in a lateral direction with minimum stretch in a vertical direction. Over this supplementary panel is placed a generally triangular suspensory panel of cotton jersey fabric cut on the bias to have its maximum stretch in a diagonal direction. A second suspensory panel of cotton jersey fabric has a generally triangular front section, partially overlapping the first mentioned jersey fabric panel, a crotch section, and a lower back section. This second panel is also cut on a bias to have its maximum stretch at right angles to that of the first suspensory panel. Alternatively, the suspensory panels may be helenca or 2- way stretch fabric.

The main front panel extends to the centers of the hips, where it is joined to a main back panel. Both of these panels have maximum stretch in a lateral direction and little or no vertical stretch. Elastic bands or tapes are provided at the waist, around the leg portions, and along selected edges of the suspensory panels. Zig-zag stitching is used throughout the garment to accommodate the selective stretching of the several panels.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of shorts embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the shorts;

FIGS. 37 are plan views of the several patterns;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the supplementary front panel superposed on the main front panel; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 9 the garment comprises a main front panel 10 and a main rear panel 20 which may be the usual knit fabric used in shorts or may be 2-way stretch elastic knit fabric. While sections 10 and 20 are shown as the main front panel and main back panel with adjoining side seams, they could, if so desired, be cut from a tubular knit fabric and made seamless. Associated with these main panels is a front reinforcing panel 30, which may be the same material, but which has maximum transverse stretch and little or no vertical stretch. The supplementary reinforcing panel 39 could also be of a textile fabric not stretchable (either laterally or vertically), or an elasticised. fabric that is stretchable only vertically. Panel overlies part of the central portion of panel 10. Overlying panel 30 is the first suspensory panel 40. The second suspensory panel 50 partially overlies panel but includes a crotch portion and a portion forming the lower part of the back or seat of the garment.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 3, main front panel 10 has a top or waist edge 11, which is shallowly concave, side edges 12, 12, concave leg edges 13, 13, and a bottom edge 14. Panel 10 has maximum stretch in a lateral direction, parallel to a line connecting the mid-points of side edges 12, 12, and little or no stretch at right angles to such line, or vertically.

The side edges 12, 12 are stitched to the side edges 22, 22 of main rear panel 20 (FIG. 4). This main rear panel has an upper or waist edge 21, leg forming edges 23, and a bottom edge 24. An elastic tape 15 is stitched along the Waist edges 11, 21, and tapes 25 are stitched along the junctions of the side edges. Tape or band 15 has longitudinal stretch, whereas tapes 25 have little or no longitudinal stretch.

As stated, a reinforcing panel 30, shown in FIG. 5, overlies the central portion of panel 10'. Panel 30 has a waist edge 31, lying along waist edge 11, and a bottom edge 33 lying along edge 14 and stitched thereto. Panel 30 has side edges 32, 32 and is the same general material as panel 10. It has stretch in a lateral or horizontal direction, but little or no stretch in a vertical direction.

A first suspensory panel 40 (FIG. 6) is cut on the bias from cotton jersey, or similar material, so as to have maximum stretch in one diagonal direction but minimum stretch along the diagonal at right angles to the direction of maximum stretch. Panel 40 has a waist edge 41, side edges 42, 46, leg forming edges 43, 43, and a bottom edge. 44. Edge 41 lies along and is stitched to edge 11 of panel 10, edge 42 lies along and is stitched to edge 32 (left) of panel 30, and edge 46 extends across panel 30 but is free therefrom. The maximum stretch of panel 40 is parallel to a line joining edges 42 and 43'.

The second suspensory panel 50, shown in FIG. 7, partially overlies suspensory panel 40. Panel 50 has a short waist edge 51 lying along edge 11 of panel 10 and stitched thereto. It has one side edge 52 extending across panels 30 and 40, and free therefrom, and a second side edge 54 lying along and stitched to the right side edge 32 of panel 30. Panel 50 has leg forming curved edges 53, 53' defining a crotch section 55 and a back garment section 56 having an edge 57 stitched to the bottom edge 24 of rear panel 20. Panel 50 is stretchable parallel to a. line joining edges 53 and 54.

Elastic waistband 15 overlies the panel edges 31, 41, 51 joined to Waist edge 11 of panel 10. Elastic tapes 45 and 75 are stitched along the free edges 46 and 52 of panels 40 and 50, respectively, and are longitudinally stretchable. Tapes 35 are stitched along the joined edges 32, 42 and 32, 54, and have substantially no longitudinal stretch. Elastic leg tapes 60 are stitched along the leg forming edges 13, 23, 43, 53, and 13, 23, 43', 53, and are longitudinally stretchable.

If desired a pleat may be formed at the center of crotch section 55 of panel 50 by folding at lines and stitching the folded material.

Cutting suspensory panels 40 and 50 on the bias, permits the fabric thereof to stretch with the leg bands 60. Panel 30 provides the needed abdominal support at the right location. Furthermore, the bias cut of panels 40 and 50 permits the leg bands and the suspensory parts to stretch to conform to the male genital organs.

It will be noted that edges 46 and 52, and the joined bottom edges of panels and 30 may be spread apart to form a front opening of the garment.

It has been a common complaint among men that most so called Jockey Shorts or briefs heretofore designed have been too constricting through the area of the suspensory parts and have not provided sufficient leg room through the inner thigh or crotch of the garment. Synthetic fibers which have been treated to provide stretch in all directions in knitted fabrics have been employed for these parts of shorts or briefs and have provided the desired freedom from constriction. However, these synthetic knitted fabrics have been found to be lacking in absorbency and to be uncomfortably warm in mid-summer and in southern climates. It is a novel feature of this invention that the suspensory parts are relatively free of each other permitting to be employed bias lines that provide a maximum amount of stretch in all directions, Where such stretch is necessary and desirable from a cotton knit fabric which is generally stretchable in one direction only.

The elastic bands 45 and 75 are applied to edges 46 and 52 to restrain the bias of these edges which would sag out of shape very quickly if it were not for this restriction, and they also permit these free edges to stretch longitudinally so they may be spread apart to provide the necessary opening.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting undergarment comprising, in combination, a main front panel of material stretchable substantially only laterally of the garment and having a Waist edge, side edges, a bottom edge, and concave leg forming edges; a main rear panel of material stretchable substantially only laterally of the garment and having a Waist edge, side edges, a bottom edge, and concave leg forming edges; said front and rear panels being united along their mating side edges to form a band; a reinforcing panel overlying and extending vertically of the central portion of said front panel and having a Waist edge and bottom edge joined to the Waist and bottom edges of said front panel,

and side edges joined to said front panel, said reinforcing 5 panel being stretcha ble substantially only laterally of said garment; and a pair of overlapping suspensory panels overlying said reinforcing panels each having a short waist edge joined to the waist edge of said front panel, a first side edge lying along a respective side edge of said reinforcing panel and joined thereto, concave leg forming edges, and a second side edge extending diagonally across said reinforcig panel; one of said suspensory panels having a bottom edge below the bottom edge of said front panel, and the other suspensory panel having a bottom edge joined to the bottom edge of said rear panci; said second side edges intersecting each other and being free of each other and of said front and reinforcing panels; said suspensory panels being cut on the bias so as to be stretchable substantially only in a direction substantially parallel to a line joining said first side edge and the concave leg edge opposite thereto.

2. A supporting undergarment as claimed in claim 1 including elastic tapes secured along said second side edges and stretchable longitudinally.

3. A supporting undergarment as claimed in claim 1 in which one of said suspensory panels partially overlaps the other suspensory panel and includes a crotch forming section and a back section joined to the bottom edge of said rear panel.

4. A supporting undergarment as claimed in claim 3 including longitudinally stretchable leg bands extending along the leg forming edges of said panels.

5. A supporting undergarment as claimed in claim 1 in which said front, rear and reinforcing panels have 35 substantially no stretch vertically of the garment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,336,248 Harwood Dec. 7, 1943 2,646,572 Eudy July 28, 1953 2,897,823 Scheinberg Aug. 4, 1959 

